Bantry’s sailing club rocked by boat thefts

THE theft of three outboard engines in Bantry will put the local sailing club under pressure to host a big national schools event over the May Bank Holiday weekend.

‘We are absolutely gutted that they were stolen,’ sailing club commodore Billy Coakley told The Southern Star.

‘Teams are coming from all over Ireland, and we have no safety boats. Now, we will have to go and buy, or borrow, engines to operate the safety boats,’ he added.

Billy estimated that the cost of replacing the engines – which were stolen on Sunday night or Monday morning – could be as much as €12,000.

Meanwhile, Bantry Bay Rowing Club also reported the theft of an outboard engine from their safety boat on the same day.

For sail training purposes, Billy said one safety boat supervises five or six dinghies, and they are vital for training or when hosting events.

While both the rowing and the sailing clubs can expect to get a small insurance settlement, the sailing club commodore said it could take a long time to make up the amount needed to replace the engines.

‘We just have enough money from year-to-year to run the club,’ said Billy, who believes experienced local sailors with RIBs are likely to come to their aid for the upcoming school’s event.

A garda spokesperson confirmed that their investigations are ongoing. The clubs are hoping that the examination of CCTV footage will lead to a successful prosecution.

Anyone with any information is asked to contact Bantry Garda Station on 027 20860 or the confidential line 1800 666 111.